This special crossover-style teardrop is built for “soft” off-road expeditions.
So-Cal Teardrops (SCT), located in Upland, California, located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains some 35 miles east of Los Angles, has been building tiny trailers in Southern California for 16 years. SCT offers nine models, ranging in price from $10,235 to $18.975, each perfect for discovering places that other RVs may be too big to get to — or too heavy for Jeeps, crossovers and small SUVs to pull.
So-Cal Teardrops Kascade, a “crossover” teardrop, is ideally suited for towing behind smaller vehicles such as Subarus, Mazdas, Jeeps and similar crossovers and SUVs. It’s light in weight, well-appointed for a teardrop and has enough ground clearance for “soft” off-road camping. Photos by the manufacturer
The newest model is a “crossover” called the Kascade, which is offered in five length and width combinations with a starting MSRP of $16,135. This well-built teardrop is for “soft off-road use,” according to the manufacturer, because it has the ground clearance and tires needed to handle forays over Forest Service roads and Bureau of Land Management backcountry roads, while still keeping a low enough profile for good highway manners and fuel economy.
Living Area
Inside the smooth curves and satin aluminum finish of the 2020 Kascade is a nine-ply Baltic Birch interior where the buyer can select from either a 4.5- or 5-foot width, and a 9-, 10- or 11-foot length. The double-sealed, “dust-proof” locking doors, as well as the interior compartments, are all equipped with heavy-duty hinges. Ventilation is provided by a 12-volt ceiling fan and screened, tinted, sliding side windows. The ceiling and floors are insulated, too, so the trailer is good for four-season use. All versions come with a 4-inch high-density foam mattress, the largest version being a roomy 59-by-102-inch queen-size bed.
The interior of the Kascade is furnished in nine-ply Baltic Birch and heavy-duty latches on all the compartments. Bed sizes vary according to the length/width of the model. The largest Kascade, the 5×10, includes a 4-inch-thick, 69-by-102-inch queen mattress.
The interior of these sturdily built 71-inch-tall trailers have 44.5 inches of headroom, and all models of the Kascade are nicely appointed for minimalist living with an AM/FM/CD unit, aircraft-style cabin light, two 12-volt outlets, cubbies, shelves and cupholders. The 12-volt DC system is powered by a Group-24 deep-cycle battery, while an onboard 3-stage marine charger/tender with external shorepower keeps the battery healthy when in storage.
Galley and Storage
What’s nice about So-Cal Teardrops is they equip their trailers so the buyer only has to provide a cooler, bedding, food, drink and propane to be ready to camp. The galley that’s hidden under the dust-sealed rear hatch comes standard with a two-burner Partner Steel LP-gas stove mounted in a sliding drawer with nested utensil drawers underneath. The cooler cubby is set up with a heavy-duty sliding drawer so it will handle the larger and most popular models.
So-Cal Teardrops calls the Kascade a “crossover” teardrop designed for “soft off-road” use, making it well-suited for towing on the open road, and setting up camp in locations where full-size towables wouldn’t be found. Doors and galley hatch are double-sealed to keep out dust and rain. One of the many options for the Kascade is a Renogy 100-watt, 12-volt Solar Suitcase system that comes with a 30-amp charge controller. The tiny trailer comes standard with a 12-volt Group 24 battery and is set up for 110-volt AC shorepower. Battery charging is done via a three-stage marine-style charger.
Among the Kascade’s long list of accessories/upgrades is an LP-gas cylinder mounted on the curbside just behind the heavy-duty rear fender that provides easy access to the roof. It also has a long enough trailer tongue to accommodate a locker and other items.
Special Features
The frame is heavy steel tube, powder-coated and equipped with a 2,500-pound Dexter torsion axle, 7-inch electric brakes and LED brake, and reverse lights are built into the frame. BFGoodrich 30×9.50 all-terrain tires with Pro Comp Steel 7×15 rock crawler wheels give the trailer 20 inches of ground clearance to the frame. Even though SCTs Kascade comes with a lot of standard features, the company offers some 50 options so the trailer can be set up exactly as the buyer wishes. SCT is unique in that they also have two regional manufacturers: Treeline Teardrops in Petaluma, California, and Kaizen Teardrops in Farmington, New Mexico, which significantly increases the company’s reach into this tiny trailer market.
The Kascade is a comfortable camper for a couple. The galley is designed to accommodate a 50-quart cooler and comes with a two-burner LP-gas stove and multiple drawers for storage.
No matter the location or time of year, the 2020 So-Cal Teardrops trailers makes it easy to get comfortable and enjoy the camping scene.
Manufacturer’s Specifications
So-Cal Teardrops Kascade 5×10
Body Length 10’
Overall Length 15’ 9”
Exterior Width 7’
Exterior Height 5’ 11”
Freshwater Capacity N/A
Gray-/Black-Water Capacity N/A
LP-Gas Capacity 2.4 gals.
UVW 1,400 lbs.
Hitch Weight 210 lbs.
Axle Weight 2,500 lbs.
GVWR 2,500 lbs.
MSRP, Base $17,385
www.socalteardrops.com
A respected automotive and RV journalist and longtime Trailer Life contributor, Bruce W. Smith has held numerous editorial titles at automotive and boating magazines, and authored more than 1,000 articles, from tech to trailering. He considers his home state of Oregon a paradise for RVing and outdoor adventure.
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